


Dropping of Eaves

by Arnie



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 09:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18657628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arnie/pseuds/Arnie
Summary: Radek overhears John and Rodney.





	Dropping of Eaves

Radek hummed to himself as he made his way along the cool corridor back to the laboratory. It had been a long day...and it was only just past lunchtime. Rodney had been in a bad mood all morning as the alien artefact he'd been examining had stubbornly refused to do anything at all, even when handled by Major Sheppard.

Perhaps Rodney would agree to go for lunch. The mess hall staff had made a chocolate cake that tasted almost like chocolate, and Rodney was very fond of chocolate. Maybe if Rodney took a long, very long, lunch, the rest of the staff wouldn't resign en masse. Radek would just have to persuade him, though Rodney was usually very persuadable where food was concerned.

His mind made up, Radek opened the laboratory door and went to take a step inside, then almost stumbled as Rodney's irate voice reached him.

"I told you not to stick it in there!"

Hoping that he could perhaps save the hapless staff member being berated, Radek opened his mouth to intervene, then quickly shut it as he heard Major Sheppard's words.

"I didn't know it was going to get stuck."

"Ow! That hurts - and I told you!" Rodney sounded even more annoyed, impossible though that seemed.

Curious as to what hurt, and what was stuck where, Radek peered around the edge of the door, but Rodney and the major couldn't be seen. The major could be heard though.

"You're not always right, you know -"

"Hello, genius here!"

Major Sheppard continued as though Rodney hadn't spoken, "And just maybe I know bit more about these things than you do." The smug tone was hard to miss.

"Well, if you know so much about it, explain this!"

"As I said, I didn't expect that to happen. You know I've dealt with this kind of thing before."

"This kind of thing precisely?"

"Well, no, not precisely. I mean, I've never got stuck before."

"There's a first time for everything, Major, and maybe now you'll know not to do it again! When will you learn to keep your body parts out of where they don't belong?!"

Radek's eyebrows rose, and he hurriedly let the door shut, leaning in close to overhear what he could. The brief silence made him think that he wouldn't be able to hear anything, then Rodney's voice burst forth again.

"You're not going to get it free that way!"

Major Sheppard's voice was quieter, but Radek could still make out the words. "Just keep calm, Rodney. Let me -" The words broke off as Major Sheppard yelped, then, "Rodney, it's not meant to bend like that!"

Radek winced in automatic sympathy, then leaned in closer as he heard scuffling noises.

"Well, this is just wonderful, Major! How am I supposed to do my job like this?"

"It's not like I can do my job either. And there's got to be a way to fix this."

More scuffling noises followed, then Rodney spoke again, his voice decisive. "That's it, they're just going to have to cut it off."

His eyes popping open in disbelief, Radek backed away from the door and fled to get Doctor Beckett, hoping that Major Sheppard would be able to prevent Rodney from doing any permanent damage in the meantime.

~'~

Carson, not really understanding what the kafuffle was all about - only getting that McKay and Sheppard were in dire need, McKay was threatening bodily harm to Sheppard (no surprise there) and that no one could hear of this - followed Radek to the laboratory. What on Earth (or off it) had those two done now?

The laboratory door slid open and Carson stepped inside, a little surprised to see Rodney, his back against Sheppard's chest, apparently struggling to get free. "What is going on here?" he demanded, coming to a sudden stop.

The pair of them looked up.

"It's his fault!" Rodney snapped.

Sheppard had a long-suffering look on his face, and Carson really couldn't blame him. "It was an accident."

"An accident? I told you -"

"And I told you!"

Their struggles began again, and Carson continued into the lab, Zelenka on his heels. "Would you two just stop! Whatever it is, you're making the situation worse."

Rodney stopped, though Carson suspected that was because he was out of breath. "I don't see how it can get any worse, do you?" Furiously, he thrust his hand in Carson's direction, his index finger trapped inside a slender gold tube, Sheppard's index finger similarly imprisoned at the other end.

There was an exclamation of surprise from Radek, but Carson ignored it, shaking his head as he examined the tube. "Is that what the problem is? It's just a finger trap." He found the catches and pressed down upon them firmly. "Have you never seen one before?"

"A fi - who - why...." Freed, Rodney turned upon Sheppard who held up his hands.

"I didn't know!"

Carson placed the tube on a worktop, safely out of the way of Rodney's fingers. "I wouldn't have thought the Ancients went in for practical jokes, myself," he mused out loud.

Rodney glared at them, apparently blaming them all for the trick.

"What I can't understand is how both of you were caught," Carson said, hoping to avert the explosion.

It was the wrong thing to say.

"That was Major...Fix It All!" Rodney snapped, back to glaring at Sheppard only.

"I was trying to help!" Sheppard retorted, his eyes narrowing into a matching glare. Glancing at Carson, he explained, "I thought I could push his finger free from the other end."

"I told you not to do it!"

As war broke out again, Carson retreated to the door. Maybe the next Ancient device would contain sedatives. It would certainly make his job easier.

The end


End file.
